Have you ever been driving through a neighbourhood and spotted a large crowd attending an open home or an auction. You then decide to stop your car and get out to take a look – only to find yourself bidding and ultimately end up buying the house?

This scenario is not as crazy as it may seem, according to the latest realestate.co.nz research which shows if it has happened to you, you are not alone in having made a spontaneous home purchase.

According to the study, 24% of Kiwis surveyed found themselves as property owners at some stage having made the decision to buy with no initial intention to do so. Within this group 8% ‘accidentally purchased’ a property in the past year.

Realestate.co.nz has been tracking data on accidental buyers since 2020. People with unintended purchase experiences made up 15% of those surveyed that year and increased to 24% in the hot market of April 2022 before retreating slightly and then reaching 24% again in June 2025 as optimism in the market recovered. 

Research data over this period has showed a correlation between higher income and an increased likelihood of making an unexpected purchase. People who bought a house without prior plans in the last year were reported to have an income 54% above the average. ‘Accidental buyers’ were also overwhelmingly male (66% versus 34% female) and had an average age of 30 years.

Auckland was found to be the epicentre of unplanned buys with respondents from New Zealand’s largest city more likely to have made an impulse buy (51% compared to 31% of survey respondents overall).  Realestate.co.nz noted that higher Auckland incomes could be a factor in this, as well as the diversity of different suburbs in New Zealand’s only megacity providing greater choice.

Raine & Horne New Zealand Supervision and Compliance Manager, James Shepherd said that while some Kiwis seemed to have open minds to when it came to making impulsive acquisitions, for most people when it comes to their next property move, there is no room for taking chances.

“That’s why smart vendors and buyers don’t take chances and turn to Raine & Horne for expert guidance, a great outcome and a seamless real estate experience rather than risking it and relying on gut feel and random chance,” James said.

Whether you want to buy, sell or rent a property, don’t hesitate to contact your local Raine & Horne office.